Fire damages shop near Nahunta
By Lee Williams
Published in News on November 2, 2006 1:45 PM
PIKEVILLE -- A gasoline laced fire swept through a private hobby shop on Boyette Pond Road leaving more than $130,000 in damage in its wake Monday.
Units of the Nahunta, Polly Watson, Little River and Kenly volunteer fire departments and Wayne County Emergency Medical Services arrived five minutes after receiving a call at 231 Boyette Pond Road about 2:30 p.m.
The garage was in flames when fire and rescue crews arrived at the property owned by Greg Bell, Nahunta Fire Chief Jay Howell said. A worker, Delbert Bolander, was working on a car when the fire ignited, Howell added.
"They were working on a vehicle in the garage and was putting gasoline into the carburetor to get it started and it backfired," Howell said. "The container caught on fire and he dropped it and it spread."
No one was injured in the fire. However, fire crews endured hazardous conditions while battling the intense flames.
"It was a hard fire to fight because of the vehicle exposures, flammables in the garage, oil and tires," Howell said.
A plume of black smoke from burning tires drifted into the air as fire crews attacked the blaze. Firefighters remained on the scene for about two and a half hours to ensure all of the hotspots were extinguished.
The fire destroyed Bell's private hobby shop, two automobiles and damaged three vehicles, Howell said.